Method and an arrangement for launching and taking aboard a raft

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a method for launching and taking aboard a floating device ( 6 ) at a ship ( 1 ) under way. Said floating device ( 6 ) is arranged in and connected to a cradle ( 4 ) which is floating as such and open at the back. Said cradle hangs in a flexible carrying means ( 10 ) and is launched using a hoisting means ( 11 ) arranged at said ship ( 1 ). The bow portion ( 14 ) of said cradle ( 4 ) is guided using a flexible separate towing means ( 15 ) in such a manner that said cradle ( 4 ) when it floats on the water ( 2 ) will be directed in the ship&#39;s ( 1 ) general travelling direction. When said floating device ( 6 ) is not connected to said cradle ( 4 ) it is able freely to move into said cradle ( 4 ) and out therefrom through its stern portion ( 8 ). The invention also relates to a means for launching and, respectively, taking aboard a floating device ( 6 ). Said means comprises an essentially U-shaped cradle ( 4 ) which is floating as such and having a space ( 7 ) which is open in a direction away from said ship, said space being adapted for receiving said floating device ( 6 ). The invention further relates to appropriate locking and steering means for said cradle ( 4 ).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a method and to an arrangement inaccordance with the introductory portion of the appended claims.Especially, the invention relates to a method for launching and,respectively, taking aboard an independent floating object at the bow,side or stern of a ship or other transporting means in motion, or at anyother arrangement which has a relative movement with respect to asurrounding medium. The present invention also relates to a device foruse as a working platform at sea and especially for launching and,respectively, taking aboard a floating device at a ship or othertransporting device, as well as to a steering device for a towed deviceand to a locking device for locking a floating device to a cradlearranged for said floating device.

2. Description of the Related Art

Since a long time prior art knows different davit arrangements forlaunching, in an emergency situation and otherwise, smaller boats andother floating devices. Known davit arrangements comprise beam meanswhich usually can be turned or folded out over a ship's bulwark, andhoisting means for lowering and, in certain situations, also hoisting upfloating devices like life boats, life saving rafts and the like.Arrangements are also known for launching such floating devices usingspecial ramps without the use of davits, in which case one uses slidesinstead. In the latter arrangement very grave difficulties usually areincluded with any rehoisting of the floating device, and said devicesare mostly intended for rescuing the ship's own crew.

Known davit arrangements have the drawback that launching and takingaboard a floating device in bad weather and at high waves is combinedwith very high risks. On the other hand, such circumstances often are athand especially in those situations when a rescue vessel or the likefloating device must be launched to perform a life saving operation. Inknown davit and the like arrangements a smaller floating device will besuspended directly in its hoisting means and in rough sea two mutuallyindependent pairs of power will act upon the floating device. When saidfloating device is suspended in its hoisting means said means are fullystressed, while, on the other hand, when a wave hits the floating devicesaid device often will be fully floating in slack hoisting means. Inthis position said hoisting means should be disconnected from thefloating device, and, respectively, be connected to the floating devicewhen it shall be hoisted on board again. It is clear that such anarrangement is especially unsuitable for hoisting and taking aboard afloating device in rough sea. In practice one will aim at turning theship so that the work can be done in some kind of lee, but this is in nocase possible in all situations, and thus one cannot in all conditionsguarantee more than the launching. In rescue operations, on the otherhand, the taking aboard of the rescued and the own personnel is of adecisive importance.

The international convention “Solas” (Safety of Life at Sea) willpropose additional demands stating that a fast rescue boat must be onboard all roll-on-roll-off passenger ships. Said fast rescue boat (FRB)must be quickly launchable from the mother ship on the move also duringhard weather conditions and it must also be quickly hoistable back onboard. This sets quite special demands on the equipment for launchingand recovering on-board. One cannot see the possibility, using knownhoisting means having a hoisting hook, to take aboard a rescue boat inthe size of about 6 to 8 meters in a situation where the wave height isseveral meters. A boat of that size will vertically follow the wave, andan unhooking and hooking to e.g. a crane is under such circumstancesdifficult, dangerous and perhaps impossible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The purpose of the present invention is to solve those practicalproblems which the new convention will bring about, and simultaneouslyto give, also for other situations, a versatile and useful solution tothe problem of launching and taking aboard a floating device. Theinvention further indicates a method for drastically improving thecapacity of a free operating rescue boat where rescued persons in aneasy and secure manner can be quickly taken care of on a device whichduring towing can act as an intermediate and working platform and as ahoisting arrangement, where the rescue boat may continue its functions.The invention also shows a practical solution on problems related totaking aboard a pilot, diving and surveying operations; unloading duringrun as well as other civilian and military operations.

The invention is characterized as indicated in the appended claims.Thus, the method is characterized by arranging and detachably connectinga floating device to be launched or, respectively, taken aboard in agenerally open cradle, said cradle being, as such, floating as well asopen in a direction away from the ship. The entity comprising saidcradle and the floating device connected thereto is launched and,respectively, taken aboard suspended from a flexible carrying meansusing a preferably extendable hoisting device arranged at said shipwhile the guiding of the cradle's bow portion which is directed towardssaid ship is performed using a flexible separately-arranged towing meansin such a manner that said cradle, when it floats on the water surfacepreferably behind said ship, will be generally directed in the ship'sdirection of movement. When the floating device is not connected to saidcradle, i.e. when said cradle is not in the air, said floating device isable to essentially freely move into the floating cradle as well as outthereof through said cradle's open stern portion which is directed awayfrom said ship.

The apparatus according to the invention is characterized in that saidapparatus comprises an essentially U-shaped cradle, which as such isfloating, said cradle having a space for receiving said floating device,said space being essentially open in a direction away from said ship,hoisting means for hoisting up and, respectively, lowering said cradlein relation to a water surface, as well as guiding means for guiding,through a towing pulling action, said cradle into a desired position inrelation to said ship's direction of travel. Preferably said cradlecomprises a special steering means in accordance with the invention,said means being characterized in that said steering means comprise anattachment point for a towing means, said attachment point beingarranged at a first steering yoke which is pivotably attached to thetowed device, at least one end of said steering yoke being arranged formoving, upon a turning of said yoke, a piston in a first cylinder, saiddevice further comprising tubes arranged between said first cylinder anda second cylinder for transporting a fluid between said first and saidsecond cylinders, said second cylinder being connected to a secondsteering yoke adapted for turning actual steering means which arearranged at said towed device at a distance from said attachment pointfor said towing means.

The connecting of said floating device to said cradle will suitably beeffected using the special locking device according to the invention,said device being characterized in that it comprises an open annularhousing covering an arc of about 270° as well as two arched lockingpins, which are movable in said housing away from each other in thedirection of said arc against a spring force, at which locking pinsoperating means are arranged for arcuate moving said locking pins insaid housing under force impact, where opposite front portions of saidlocking pins are inclined so that said inclinations form a V which isdirected away from the center of said annular housing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to theappended principal drawings, wherein

FIG. 1 shows the stern portion of a ship, where a cradle carrying a boatis lowered or hoisted up in accordance with one embodiment of theinvention, said cradle being positioned in the air,

FIG. 2 shows the arrangement according to FIG. 1 in a position wheresaid cradle lies on the water surface and said floating device isconnected to said cradle either in order to be hoisted up or immediatelyafter getting into contact with the water surface at the launchingprocedure,

FIG. 3 shows the embodiment according to FIG. 1 when said cradle floatsbehind said ship and said floating device, in the shown case a rescueboat, is free behind the cradle,

FIG. 4 from above shows a cradle in accordance with a favorableembodiment of the invention,

FIG. 5 from the side shows a sectional view of the embodiment accordingto FIG. 4,

FIG. 6 seen from the front and partially in section shows the embodimentaccording to claim 4,

FIG. 7 generally shows a favorable connecting arrangement according tothe invention, and

FIG. 8 in a sectional view shows the arrangement according to FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The invention's functional solution in principle is generally evidentfrom FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. According to the invention a mother ship 1 movesforwards at steering speed. Even at higher sea the interaction betweenthe deplacement of said shin 1, the bow and stern waves and thepropeller stream provides behind the ship an area having proportionallycalmer water 2 which preferably can be utilized for launchingoperations, provided that the action takes place at some distance fromthe shin's stern 3 and the strongest propeller stream.

The arrangement according to the invention comprises suitably acatamaran like cradle 4 made of aluminum or any other appropriatematerial, between floating bodies or pontoons 5 of which a space isarranged and especially adapted for receiving the floating device 6,e.g. a rescue boat, which is to be used. Said floating device 6 may be arescue boat of a standard type or the like, and said cradle is adaptedin accordance with the floating device's individual design so that saidfloating device 6 will be kept, when the arrangement is not in thewater, steadily in the essentially open inner space 7 of said cradle 4between said pontoons 5, while said floating device 6 freely can movebackwards and out of said cradle 4 through its essentially open sternportion 8, when said floating device 6 and said cradle 4 float on thewater surface 2.

Normally the cradle 4 and the floating device 6 are inter-connected andstowed together at the ship's stern deck, suitably on a special bed madefor that purpose. The cradle 4 suitably comprises special lifting means9, 9 a one of which 9 a suitably operates at the bow portion of thecradle and two others suitably at the stern portion of each respectivecatamaran pontoon 5. The arrangement is stowed on the deck of the mothership 1 in such a manner that said lifting means 9, 9 a, i.e. stainlesssteel wires or the like are continuously though preferably detachablyconnected to a flexible carrying means 10 which also usually is a steelwire, a hoisting band or the like. Said carrying means 10 in turn ispart of a hoisting device 11, suitably a special crane having atelescopically extendable boom 12. In this manner the whole arrangementcontinuously is functional at shortest possible warning. Even thoughhere is proposed especially equipped hoisting and guiding means itshould be observed that in certain cases also a standard deck crane canbe used as said hoisting device 11, while the winch to be more closelydiscussed below may be a separate winch of standard type. Thearrangement according to the invention is suitably located in the stern3 of said shin 1 close to the center line, but in certain cases thearrangement may also be located at some other location, possibly even inthe bow.

At the launch only the hoisting means 11 is activated and thearrangement carries essentially the cradle's 4 and floating device's 6total weight. Using a winch means 13 the front portion 14 of the cradle4 is guided with the aid of a towing steering means 15 attached to saidfront portion 14. Said steering means 15, e.g. a steel wire, is keptsuitably loosely though still so stretched that the launch of the cradle4 can be secured to essentially the general moving direction of themother ship 1 and so that any swaying due to sea and wind can be damped.Preferably said carrying means 10 will extend slightly inclined withrespect to the vertical direction (see FIG. 1) and it connects to thecradle 4 in an attachment point 16 located above the same. With respectto the stability it is usually suitable that said lifting means 9, 9 aextend at an angle of about 30° with respect to the vertical axis. Incertain cases it is appropriate to separately guide one or severallifting means 9, 9 a using a guiding wire 9 b extending between saidrespective lifting means and a suitable point on the cradle 4.

Said winch means 13 preferably comprise an extendable boom 17 and theyare suitably functionally connected in an interacting manner with saidhoisting means 11. By making said boom 17 of said winch means extendableand, according to one embodiment, also laterally turnable, the point oftowing can be controlled and on demand be lowered to a low position,which is appropriate with respect to stability. When the hoisting means11 during the launch have lowered the cradle 4 and the thereto connectedfloating device 6 so far down that they will float on their own, theangle of the carrying means 10 is changed in relation to said boom 12 ofsaid hoisting means 11. A detecting device 18 is suitably arranged atthe outer end of said boom 12, and the change of angle for the carryingmeans 10 gives through said detecting device 18 a signal indicating thatthe cradle 4 and the floating device 6 are floating (see FIG. 2). Atthis stage the hoisting mean's functions are disconnected and the winch13 for the towing steering means 15 is activated. This switching ispreferably effected using hydraulic means which in turn suitably arecontrolled by a microprocessor.

Preferably, said detector 18 is arranged so that it surrounds thecarrying means 10. In order to optimize the security said detector 18suitably comprises three different functional positions, where a forwardangular position indicates that the carrying means 10 extends forwardsin too wide an angle so that the cradle 4 and the floating device 6,when they reach the water surface, would break therethrough and in worstcase perhaps even be filled with water. In this position the operationsuitably should be interrupted and a warning signal be given. The anglebetween this forward alarm position and a middle angular positionindicates a working range where a secure lowering is possible. Normallythis working range will lie, seen in the travel direction of the ship,some degrees of angle forwards from the vertical line through the pointwhere the carrying means engages to said boom 12. A third angularposition which lies, seen in the travel direction, behind said workingrange although normally also this position is located forwards from saidvertical line, and extends possibly also in the sidewards direction,indicates that the carrying wire 10 does not any more carry the cradle 4essentially vertically but slightly afore the vertical line, i.e. thatthe cradle is afloat on its own. In this position the carrying means 10should be kept slightly loose in order to prevent the cradle 4 fromoverturning due to any pulling at the carrying means 10. If the detectormeans 18 from the angle indication cannot verify that the carrying means10 has been given a necessary slack, the detector 18 suitably governsthe interruption of the operation and an alarm is given.

In the next step the towing steering means 15 let the cradle 4 withdrawfarther astern and away from the strongest propeller stream. The cradle4 is not any more under the influence of any force from the carryingmeans 10 which, although slacked still continuously remain connected tothe cradle's 4 lifting means 9, 9 a. Instead, the towing steering means15 keep the cradle at a proper distance from the ship 1 (see FIG. 3).According to a favorable embodiment the lifting means 9, 9 a and/or thecarrying means 10 are guided away by suitably flexible arches or thelike supports so that said means 9, 9 a, 10 do not disturb the actualoperation.

At this stage said cradle 4 acts as a floating docking device for thefloating device 6. When the locking between the cradle 4 and thefloating device 6 has been opened the floating device 6 is able tofreely reverse out from the cradle 4 through the open portion 8 at thecradle's 4 stern or, respectively, steer into the space 7 between thecradle's 4 pontoons 5 and if needed connect to the cradle 4 whichcontinuously remains in the general traveling direction of the mothership 1 and travels with equal speed. At this stage the floating device6, e.g. a rescue boat is able to perform an arbitrary number of rescueoperations using the cradle 4 as its base. If necessary the cradle 4 cane.g. be provided with spacings for rescued persons, and the cradle canalso be hoisted aboard at any time. According to a preferred embodimentfor small rescue boats having a size usual in the mercantile shipping,the cradle 4 in practice will comprise a deck of about 20 m² which canbe used by persons assisting in the rescue operation as well as forkeeping rescued persons, for which a fairing suitably is arranged overat least a portion of the deck.

It might also be appropriate to provide the cradle 4 e.g. with a fuelsupply for one or several rescue or other working boats. When the rescueoperation is ended the rescue boat 6 will again dock into the cradle 4.The cradle 4 will follow the rescue boat's movements also in heavy sea,which facilitates that a secure docking procedure and with a minimalrisk for the personnel can be performed also under difficult conditions.

When the connection between the floating device 6 and the cradle 4 hasbeen locked the entity so established can again be hoisted aboard in theopposite order with respect to the launch. Since the cradle 4 all thetime is connected both to the towing steering means 15 and to thecarrying means 10 one does not need to perform any kind of operationsand connections between freely suspended hoisting means and floatingdevices moving at the rate of the heave of the sea.

In the embodiments according to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 said cradle 4 suitablycomprises two suitably sectioned pontoons 5 arranged in an essentiallyparallel manner and preferably permanently interconnected by transversebeams 19, 19 a, 19 b. At least some 19 a, 19 b of said transverse beamshave a double mission in that they act both as interconnecting elementsand simultaneously act as damping devices which slightly retard thecradle's 4 speed. Therethrough is achieved, on one hand, a continuouspositive pull in the towing steering means which improves the steeringproperties. On the other hand, the retardation against the waterfacilitates the docking of the floating device 6 since the cradle 4 doesnot slip away.

According to a favorable embodiment of the invention at least some ofthe front transverse beams are provided with a front plate 46 or thelike which further retards the movements of the cradle 4 and reduces theseaway therewithin. In the embodiment disclosed in FIG. 6 the pontoons 5are also in the upper portion interconnected by arcuate beams 20 whichsuitably constitute the framework for said fairing or the like. In theproposed embodiment a pair of stronger transverse beams 21 are arrangedin the front portion of the cradle 4 and a pair of cross beams 22 give atorsion resistance and simultaneously a guidance so that the floatingdevice 6 will hit a locking device 23 which suitably is arranged at thecentral line of the cradle 4 between said beams 21.

The cradle 4 is dimensioned in such a manner that it will float of itsown and have such a draft that the floating device 6 freely can floatinto the space 7 between the pontoons 5 about halfway into the cradle 4.The beams 19 a are on suitable locations provided with keel rolls 24which preferably are arranged in such a manner that the floating device6 using its own engine power presses the keel against said rolls 24 andthen obtains an aft trim and adjoins all said rolls 24 and a lockingdevice generally indicated with the reference 23 situated between thecradle 4 and the floating device 6. In this position side rolls 25 givesupport from the side.

For security reasons its is most important that the coupling between thefloating device 6 and the cradle is arranged in such a manner that it isimpossible to open the connection when the arrangement is in the air andsuspended in the carrying means 10. Thus, in FIG. 7 is shown a favorablelocking device according to one embodiment of the invention. The lockingdevice 23 is suitably attached to the bow portion of the floating deviceand comprises a housing 26 having a circular arcuate shape wherein twolocking tongues 27 run. Said housing 26 covers an arc of about 250° to280° and said tongues 27 are able to move into said housing 26 againstthe force of a spring (not shown) arranged therein so that there willappear a free opening 28 in the locking device for the introduction of asuitably round counter piece into the open portion 29 of the lockingdevice.

When said locking tongues 27 are positioned in their protruding positionthis opening will be closed to such an extent that the round counterpiece cannot pass therethrough. In order to facilitate an automaticfunction, the front portions of said locking tongues 27 are suitablebeveled in such a manner that their front surfaces between themselvesconstitute an open V. When said round counter piece is pressed againstthe locking tongues 27 they are pushed into the housing 26 and thecounter piece can pass into the area surrounded by the housing 26. Apassage in the opposite direction is, on the other hand, impossibleunless the locking tongues 27 are mechanically opened against saidspring force, e.g. using handles 30 connected to a pulling wire.

In order to automatically secure, in connection with the cradle 4, thefunction of the locking mechanism 23 in accordance with the invention sothat the lock cannot be opened when the floating device 6 is in the air,it is appropriate to design said lock in such a manner that the distancebetween said locking tongues 27 in their open position corresponds tothe smaller diameter “d” of an upper portion 31 of a vertical spindlepin 32 which is located in the front end of the cradle 4, while a lowerportion 33 suitably arranged under a conical portion of said spindle pinhas a greater diameter “D”. This greater diameter “D” corresponds,within a suitable tolerance, to the largest inner diameter of the openportion 29 of said housing 26.

In the cradle 4 said spindle pin 32 is arranged movably in the verticaldirection and spring loaded in the downwards direction with a springforce which suitably corresponds to about half the force considered tobe needed to hoist the cradle 4. In this position the portion having thesmaller axial diameter “d” will be located at the level of the lockingdevice 23 in the floating device's 6 bow portion 14, and so the spindlepin 32 is able to pass into the lock's open portion 29 through saidopening 28 between the locking tongues 27. The one of the lifting means9 a which acts at the cradle's bow portion 14 is connected to the upperend 34 of said spindle pin 32, and when the cradle 4 is hoisted saidspindle pin 32 will be pulled slightly upwards and then the lowerportion 33 of said spindle pin 32 having the greater diameter “D” willbe pressed up into the open central portion 29 of said lock housing 26.The locking device 23 will in turn suitably rest against one of thecradle's 4 front beams 21, and in this position it will be impossiblefor the spindle pin 32 to pass through said opening 28 even if thelocking tongues 27 would be accidentally opened.

In order to keep the cradle 4 always in a correct position with respectto the mother ship 1 it is suitably provided with special steering meansin accordance with FIGS. 4, 5 and 8. Principally the inventive steeringmeans comprises one or several rudder blades 35 which suitably arearranged at the stern of each respective pontoon 5. Each rudder blade 35is arranged at a shaft 36 which is pivotably arranged using a thrustbearing and the upper part of which suitably comprises an attachmentpoint 37 for a respective lifting means 9. The upper end of therespective shaft 36 comprises a rudder yoke 38 which in turn suitably isconnected to a power means, in the disclosed embodiment to a hydrauliccylinder 39.

In accordance with FIG. 4 the respective hydraulic cylinder 39 isconnected through double tube lines 40, 41 to a corresponding respectivehydraulic cylinder 42, the piston of which in turn is connected to arespective end of a centrally journalled transversal beam 43. In theembodiment shown in FIGS. 4, 5, 6 and 8 said transversal beam 43 issuitably journalled to the spindle pin 32 of the locking device 23 whichhas been described earlier. A short pulling beam or a steering yoke issuitably attached to said transversal beam 43 in a perpendicular butvertically movable manner.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention the towing steeringmeans 15 is connected to or via the outer end 45, 45 a of said steeringyoke 44. A skew pulling force at the towing steering means 15 will turnthe steering yoke 44 which simultaneously tends to turn the transversalbeam 43 into the direction of the pulling force. The torque will pressone of the hydraulic cylinder's 42 pistons backwards and pull thecorresponding piston of the other cylinder forwards. The movement at therespective pistons will bring about a stream of fluid in the respectivetubings 40, 41 in such a way that also the pistons in the respectivehydraulic cylinders will move, whereupon the respective rudder yoke 38will turn in the opposite direction with respect to the steering yoke44. At the same time the rudder blades 35 will turn into a directionwhich parries the skew pulling force at the steering yoke 44. In thismanner the cradle 4 will automatically endeavour to follow the mothership 1 straight also on such occasions when side wind and wavesendeavour to move the cradle 4 sideways. The relations between saidhydraulic cylinders are suitably chosen in such a manner that thetransmission ratio at the rudders will be about 2:1 which in a towingsituation gives a quicker response to diversions in the heading. Incertain cases the hydraulic arrangement can be replaced with anelectric, a mechanic or an arrangement based on wires, but a closedhydraulic system has the advantage of high operational reliability and aminimum of maintenance.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 4 the cradle's pontoons 5 atrespective stern ends comprise a portion 47 which is turned slightlyoutwards, suitably about 20° with respect to the longitudinal axis ofthe cradle 4. The outwardly bent portion in the stern of the cradle 4will slightly retard the forward movement of the stern and gives therebya momentum which stabilizes the heading. Simultaneously the cradle's 4pontoons 5 suitably comprise a corresponding outwards bent portions 48also at those sides of the cradle 4 which are directed towards the innerspace 7 of the cradle 4 so that said open space 7 at least in theportion located most aft in practice will be at least slightlywedge-like which facilitates the access of the floating device 6especially in rough weather conditions.

Above some preferred embodiments of the invention have been describedbut for the professional it will be clear that the invention can bevaried in many ways within the scope of the appended claims. It willalso be evident that the solutions given above can be used also in othercontexts than those indicated above. Thus, the arrangement according tothe invention can be used for different kinds of rescue and workingboats or the like and also directly as a working platform at sea.Although the arrangement according to the invention above has beendescribed with reference to an embodiment which is adapted for use witha ship it is evident for the expert that the same arrangement withcertain modifications also can be used e.g. for launching and,respectively, hoisting up corresponding floating devices from e.g. ahuge helicopter. In certain special cases, e.g. in connection withairborne launching it might be appropriate to provide the cradle with amotor and propeller means of its own which gives the cradle a certainmobility and steerability. In certain cases such means can suitably beused in order to stabilize the cradle 4 also when the mother ship 1 doesnot have steerage way or e.g. for independent steering of the cradlefrom one side of a ship to the other. It is also evident that the samesolution principle can be utilized in embodiments where one or severalflexible carrying and steering means are replaced with more rigidconstructions like permanent beams or the like which extend outwardsfrom the ship.

The locking arrangement according to the invention can be used also inother applications where during a hoisting of interconnected objects asecure locking is demanded. The steering arrangement according to theinvention can also be used when the intention is to tow or in some otherway bring an object to move, under difficult conditions, in relation toa fluid.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for launching and retrieving a floatingcraft from a vessel, said method comprising the steps of: providing ahoisting means attached to a vessel; providing a floating means attachedto said hoisting means by a carrying device, said floating means havinga rigidly defined shape being configured to be raised and lowered by thehoisting means acting on the carrying device; providing a floating craftwhich is configured to be engaged in said floating means when saidfloating means is in a suspended state and which is configured to floatfreely within said floating means when said floating means is floatingon a water surface; providing a towing means attaching a first end ofsaid floating means to the vessel; floating said floating means on thewater surface wherein an end of said floating means toward said vesselis loosely tethered toward said vessel by the towing means, and whereinthe carrying device slackly connects the floating means to the hoistingmeans wherein the floating craft freely floats within a receiving areaof the floating means.
 2. A method as recited in claim 1, furthercomprising the steps of: providing a lifting means on said floatingmeans, said lifting means attaching to at least two points on saidfloating means and providing a centrally located point for attachingsaid carrying device to said hoisting means; providing a winch on saidvessel; providing an attachment device on the first end of the floatingmeans; attaching said towing means from said winch to said attachmentdevice; and controlling a position of the floating means by selectivelycontrolling the hoisting means and the winch.
 3. A method as recited inclaim 2, further comprising the steps of: inclining the floating meansduring hoisting and lowering operations, when said floating craft issecured to said floating means, said inclining step being performed bycontrolling an angle of the floating means with the winch and thehoisting means.
 4. A method as recited in claim 2, comprising a step of,during hoisting and lifting operations, maintaining a normal floatingattitude of said floating means by maintaining a slack in the carryingmeans with the hoisting means, and controlling a distance of saidfloating means from said vessel by controlling the winch.
 5. A systemfor launching and hoisting a floating craft from a vessel, said systemcomprising: floating means for receiving a floating craft therein, saidfloating means comprising a rigidly defined substantially U-shapedfloating frame with an open end of said U-shaped floating frame beingconfigured to be open in a direction away from the vessel, said U-shapedfloating frame defining a receiving area for receiving the floatingcraft therein; a hoisting device attached to said floating means by acarrying device for lifting and lowering said floating means from thevessel to and from a surface of water; a towing device attached to afirst end of said floating means and adapted to be attached to saidvessel for orienting the floating means such that the open end of thesubstantial U-shaped frame is open in the direction away from thevessel.
 6. A system as recited in claim 5, wherein said substantiallyU-shaped floating frame comprises a frame structure having a floatingbody on each side of the defined receiving area, and a plurality oftransverse beams connecting the floating bodies and for guiding thefloating craft into the receiving area, wherein distal ends of thefloating bodies which are disposed at the open-end of the substantialU-shape diverge away from the open area to assist in guiding thefloating craft into and out of the receiving area.
 7. A system asrecited in claim 5, further comprising a fastening device providing asingle central fastening point for attaching said floating means to thecarrying device, said fastening means including at least one liftingmember secured to a plurality of mounting points on said frame, saidplurality of cables connected to said carrying device at a singlefastening point.
 8. A system as recited in claim 7, further comprisingsteering means mounted on said frame and connected to at least one ofsaid plurality of mounting points, said steering means for steering saidfloating means.
 9. A system as recited in claim 5, further comprisinglocking means for locking said floating craft to said floating means.10. A system as recited in claim 5, further comprising a detecting meansconnected to said hoisting device, said detecting means for detectingslack in the carrying device and for controlling movement of thehoisting device and the towing device.
 11. A system as recited in claim10, wherein said towing device comprises a winch adapted to be mountedon said vessel for controlling movement of a towing member, and whereinsaid detecting means further comprises a microprocessor connected tosaid winch and said hoisting device for controlling an attitude of thefloating means by controlling the hoisting device and the winch.
 12. Asystem as recited in claim 8, said steering means further comprises asteering element disposed toward a distal end of each of said floatingbodies, each said steering element being connected to a steering yokeassembly attached to said towing device, said steering yoke assemblytranslating movement thereof into respective movement of said steeringelements.
 13. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein said steeringyoke assembly comprises a first steering yoke attached to said towingdevice and a second steering yoke attached to at least one of saidsteering elements, said first and second steering yokes being attachedto corresponding pistons and cylinders for respectively actuating saidat least one of said steering elements.
 14. A system as recited in claim5, further comprising a locking means for locking the floating craft tothe floating means, said locking means comprising an annular housingadapted to be attached to said floating craft with an open portiontherein, said annular housing including two arcuate locking pins movablewithin a portion of said annular housing to open and close the openportion of the annular housing, said locking pins being biased by abiasing means toward each other, said locking means further includingoperating means attached to the locking pins for moving the locking pinsaway from each other to open the open portion of the annular housing.15. A system as recited in claim 14, wherein a front face of each ofsaid locking pins is shaped such that the pair of locking pins forms anopen V diverging away from a center of the annular housing, wherein aforce impact on a surface of the open V results in movement of at leastone of the locking pins against a force of the biasing means.
 16. Asystem as recited in claim 15, said locking device further comprising aspindle pin on said floating means configured to engage said openannular housing, said spindle pin comprising a first portion having afirst diameter and a second portion having a second diameter which isgreater than said first diameter, said spindle pin being longitudinallymovable such that when the second portion is disposed within saidannular housing, the annular housing can be disengaged from the spindlepin by opening the locking pins, and when the second portion is disposedwithin the annular housing then disengagement cannot occur.
 17. Asteering system for a towed floating device, said steering systemcomprising: an attachment element adapted to be attached to the toweddevice for attaching a flexible towing means thereto; a first steeringyoke attached to said attachment element, said first steering yoke beingcoupled to a first piston, a first cylinder, and tubing; a steeringelement attached to said towed device; a second steering yoke attachedto said steering element, said second steering yoke including a secondpiston and a second cylinder, said second piston and second cylinderbeing connected to said tubing, wherein lateral movement of saidattachment element is translated into movement of said first and secondsteering yokes and subsequent movement of said steering element throughthe pistons, cylinders and tubing.
 18. A system for securing a floatingcraft to a floating element, said system comprising: an annular housingadapted to be attached to the floating craft, said annular housingincluding an open portion therein and two arcuate blocking pins movablewithin a portion of the annular housing to open and close the openportion, said locking pins being biased by a biasing means toward eachother, and further including operating means attached to the lockingpins for moving the locking means away from each other to open the openportion.
 19. A system as recited in claim 18, wherein a front face ofeach of the locking pins is shaped such that the pair of locking pinsforms and V diverging away from a center of the annular housing, whereina force impact on a surface of the open V results in movement of atleast one of the locking pins against a force of the biasing means.